Disclaimer/Acknowledgments: I don't own Power Rangers (obviously) or any characters (even more obvious)
This story was inspired by Panache's Five Girls Billy Never Kissed story #5 The Sweetest Thing. If you have not read this story I highly suggest it.
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It was night by the time he found the strength to stand. The cold winds from the desert penetrated the broken walls of the fortress and he was forced to scavenge for fuel to build a fire.
He only had basic supplies in the ship. He'd packed quickly and not knowing what to take he had only basic survival gear. He'd expected to at least find the Command Center standing, much less food and electricity. The small ship he brought was little more than a one man fighter that he'd loaded quickly and taken off with right away. Cestro had offered more but it would have taken time and Billy didn't want to wait. The Aquitian Rangers had offered to join him as well, but again, Billy didn't want to wait for them. The ship had a long range transmitter and he'd promised to call if he needed help.
After scavenging the desert for firewood and dragging it back in the dark he unloaded the small survival kit he'd brought with him. There was a firestarter as well as some water and ration bars. It wouldn't last more than a day or two. He slept under the archway that used to be the entrance to the lower chamber wrapped in a thin thermal blanket, a small fire burning a few feet away with barely enough heat to keep him from shivering.
He woke just after sunrise and made a meager breakfast of more ration bars and water. He packed a bag with water and a handful of said bars and a small tool kit. It was about an hour walk from the Command Center to the Angel Grove city limits. He didn't dare take the ship. There was a limited amount of spare food and it would barely be enough to get him back to Aquitar. He'd seen the city as he flew over it the day before. Downtown was almost completely gone, what used to be rows of office buildings were charred ruins of ash and rubble. Had the Command Center been standing, or even a good part of the city, he wouldn't have hesitated, but things being as they were there was no guarantee he'd find suitable fuel.
He hit the warehouse district first, it was barely recognizable without the tall buildings and smokestacks that defined it. He stopped near what he was pretty sure was the center of downtown just as the sun was peaking over the eastern sky. It would be a long hot walk back and he was actually wondering if he could get one of these half smashed cars parked randomly over the street to work and drive him back home.
He stopped under a large building that from the sign buried in the street out front was once Angel Grove First National Bank. He ate two ration bars and emptied half a bottle of water before moving on. He had taken a few minutes to write down a short list of things he needed before leaving this morning. Food, water, and clothing were at the top of that list. If he remembered correctly the Angel Grove Mall was only a few blocks to the south. That seemed like the best place to start.
He set off across the street and noticed what looked like a newer construction building at the end of the block. It was tall and made of flat steel that had no windows cut into it. It was a strange structure so Billy headed in that direction as he walked. As he got to the end of the block more of the structure became visible around the corner and when he was fully to it he stopped dead in his tracks. A long track of steel, segmented into octagonal sections that got smaller and smaller and finally ended in a sharp point laid across the road.
It was a tail. A tail to a Zord.
Billy broke into a dead run, jumping the barbed end of the tail and racing around to the head. He stopped again only when he came face to face with the black and silver head, red eyes gone dark with death.
The Dragon Zord.
The head was completely severed from the body and lay upright on the asphalt road a few feet away. Billy was shocked that Tommy had resurrected his old Zord. He couldn't begin to think how he'd done that. The Zord's power was lost with the original Green Ranger, or so Billy had always thought. Tommy must have been desperate to bring back a dead Zord in battle.
Billy felt a twinge in his chest at what his friend must have gone through. It might have been the last thing Tommy had ever done.
That thought more than anything else is what forced his feet to move again. He jogged around to the back of the body, where the cockpit should have been. He entered from where the head had been separated from the body, holding his breath as he peered through the ancient metal and wire.
It was empty. He let out his breath in disappointment. He turned away from the Zord and felt his knees give way as he hit the hot ground. Only then did his thoughts clear enough for him to realize just how close he'd just come to finding Tommy dead.
His stomach churned and he fell forward on his hands just in time to throw up his small lunch on the sidewalk. He was alone. There weren't even any bodies to find. They were all just gone.
He was too late.